In short, ENVS majors take 11 cr. of core courses, either 18 (CAS students) or 30 (CALS and RSENR students) 100-200-level credits relating to the chosen concentration. Within the concentration they complete the 4-course environmental breadth requirements. The major is completed with a 9-credit senior capstone at the 200-level. Here's an ENVS flow chart to show you the major graphically.

ENVS minors take 17 credits, minimum, of ENVS credits, with an option of 3 approved non-ENVS credits at the appropriate level.

Environmental Breadth Requirements

As part of their concentration all students take one 100-200-level course in each environmentally-related breadth area:

Natural Science (NS) - courses that use scientific models and critical thinking based in the scientific disciplines to understand ecological patterns and human impact on ecosystems.

Social Science (SS) - courses that use political, economic, sociological, or anthropological frameworks to understand eco-social systems and address causes and solutions to environmental impacts.

Humanities (HUM) - courses that draw on the values-oriented literature and narrative methods of literature, arts, philosophy, religion, and history to expose different perspectives, norms, and insights into human-nature relations.

and International (INT) - courses that provide a global perspective on environmental concerns or offer insight into the drivers of environmental concerns for a country or region outside the United States. Appropriate campus, travel study and study abroad courses will fulfill this requirement.

As best they can, students choose courses that relate to their concentration and serve to educate from each breadth perspective.

ENVS Concentrations

Six concentrations serve as advising guidelines for students with those interests. Each concentration comes with a list of relevant courses. Course choices are not limited to those on the sheet. With advising support, you may design your own concentration.

The six pre-designed concentrations and corresponding attached pdf:

Ecology and Conservation - Scientific and management approaches for landscape protection and stewardship with a focus on field observation, conservation planning and policy; interdisciplinary grounding in the environmental and conservation sciences.

Food, Land and Community - Ecological aspects of agricultural landscapes, food production and distribution with a focus on scientific and social analysis in food and agriculture aspects of environmental planning and community development; interdisciplinary grounding in agroecology and sustainable food systems.

Environmental Policy and Development - The role of social, political, and economic forces in environmental policy and economic development with a focus on problem analysis, systems thinking, and social evaluation; interdisciplinary grounding in the environmental social sciences.

Nature, Culture and Justice - Nature-culture concerns reflecting social values and justice issues with a focus on environmental communication, expression, and advocacy; interdisciplinary grounding in the environmental humanities. Tracks in the creative arts, environmental ethics, and environmental education and activism.

Sustainability Studies - Sustainable ecological and social processes that inform human choices in relation to energy, transportation, climate, waste, and food systems, with a focus on applying sustainability principles to environmental problem-solving; interdisciplinary grounding in systems thinking and ecological processes.

Environment and Health - The connection between environmental health and human health impacts of degraded and toxic soils, water, food, and air with a focus on problem analysis, systems thinking, and social evaluation; interdisciplinary grounding in environmental health sciences and social sciences.

Internships and Experiential Learning

The Environmental Program places a high value on experiential education. We strongly encourage students to engage in internships, independent research, supervised field studies and practicum projects, apprenticeships, etc. as an integral part of their undergraduate education--for credit, or not.

Senior Capstones

ENVS majors choose one of three options to fulfill the nine 200-level credits required to conclude their major.
The capstone must be: the equivalent of 9 credits of 200-level work; individually approved by ENVS faculty; and appropriate to the student's background and capabilities.